Peru Ministries
Children’s/Youth Ministries
 One way WGM Peru is working with the national church is through children’s and youth ministries. Through these outreaches, the missionaries are striving to build the future church and change the world through children and youth who are in love with God. According to George Barna and his research company, 85 percent of people who come to Christ do so before the age of 18. Ministries to children and youth in Cusco, Peru, will provide physical and emotional support as well as the good news that Jesus loves them.
Opportunities for children’s and youth ministries in Peru include working with the local churches, serving at a local children’s home and a local nursery school, and leading sports camps. As seeds are planted in these young lives, the ultimate goal is to reach out to their families and the greater Cusco community with the life-changing love of Jesus.
Click this link to view current children’s/youth ministry opportunities in Peru.
Church Ministries
The ultimate goal of church ministries is to develop and establish churches. This is possible by creating an atmosphere where evangelism can take place. Leadership training, Christian education, and discipleship help strengthen the church and prepare people to share the love of Christ wherever they go. The mission statement of WGM Peru is “Nurturing people towards fullness of life in Christ.”
Iglesia Evangelica Mundial, the World Gospel Church of Peru, become official May 7, 2009. The denomination consists of two churches with a third church working closely with the denomination. The Agape Church, pastored by Toni Serna, was started by national pastors Eduardo and Maritza Vera who were also instrumental in bringing WGM to Peru. Rey de Reyes (King of Kings) Church currently meets in Eduardo and Maritza’s home. The third church, Cristo Vivente, is pastored by Juan Pinchi and currently holds a youth ministry on Saturday nights, a Spanish service on Sunday mornings, a Quechua service Sunday evenings, and a Tuesday evening prayer meeting.
“We thank the Lord that we have missionaries here,” the Veras shared. “We started the work alone with a lot of battles, and it gives us great encouragement to have WGM Peru here with us. It gives us more courage to do the work we are called to.”
In addition to ministering through these churches, WGM Peru missionaries have been involved in door-to-door evangelism, seeking to reach those people who will not go to an actual church either because they don’t want to or because it is too expensive for them to travel each week.
Although only 3 percent of the state of Cusco’s 1.2 million people consider themselves Christian, the city of Cusco is home to 25 evangelical churches. There is also a strong pastoral association that meets each week to encourage each other and lift the ministries in prayer. The greatest challenge to church ministries in Cusco is evangelism. Although Cusqueños are open to the gospel and very polite and curious, evangelism is difficult and slow work. The people are caught up in customs and traditions that include pagan rituals and idolatry, making it hard for them to give those up for Christ.
In an attempt to better equip national pastors to evangelize their own people, WGM Peru, the national church, and the Cusco pastoral association are seeking to start a center for pastoral instruction. Many pastors share experiences from their lives but are not sharing things of Christ because they are not prepared. This training would also include courses on conducting children’s/youth ministry and other outreach needs in the community.
Click this link to view current church ministry opportunities in Peru.
Educational Ministries
Teaching English as a Second Language has become an outlet for introducing people to Christ worldwide. The same is true in Peru as WGM missionaries are asked, “Can you teach me English?” Whether they are hailing a taxi or buying groceries at the local market, WGM missionaries catch the curiosity of Cusqueños with their skin color, accent, and Spanish-speaking skills.
To a national taxi driver, learning English means an increase in income for his family as he becomes more competitive in the tourist trade and able to help English speakers when they visit. The majority of taxi drivers work seven days a week and don’t have time to go to church or cannot justify taking time off to go.
“[While riding in a taxi] we have five to 10 minutes to plant a seed and tell them there’s something out there that’s real for them,” missionary Cathlene Strong shared. “Their curiosity about who we are and what we’re doing in Peru allows us to share with them.”
Click this link to view current educational ministry opportunities in Peru.
Support Ministries
WGM believes there is a place for everyone in missions. Support ministries offer a way for people to find their niche in missions by using their God-given talents and abilities to work hand-in-hand with other missionaries and national Christians. Some available opportunities include being accountants, treasurers, mechanics, computer technicians, work team coordinators, maintenance workers, and guesthouse hosts. These support roles complement the other ministries on our fields.
A main support role in Peru is work teams. Teams have already come to lead youth ministries and sports ministries and to help rebuild a home in Ica following the Peru earthquakes in August 2007. These teams have made Cusqueños aware that WGM Peru is in the community and ready to help.
Future teams will include more children’s and youth ministry work, additional sports outreach, and a possible law enforcement or military team to minister through the Peruvian Association of Christian Police/Military or at the jail just two blocks from a WGM missionary’s home.
Click this link to view current support ministry opportunities in Peru. |